Never Had A Chance
by Lady Eclipse
Summary: This is just a sweet little romance fic where Mai finally corners Andy while he's away training. This is written from Andy's perspective, so be gentle!


Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing.

NEVER HAD A CHANCE

By: Lady Eclipse

With precise grace, Andy went through his training routine. He effortlessly blended kicks and punches with speed that would make most trained fighters blanch. He easily ignored the varied sounds of the forest narrowing his focus to his movements and the tree before him. It was only after he had completed his routine to his satisfaction that he heard his master's distant voice. Andy frowned facing the general direction; he had purposefully not strayed too far from the dojo since he was the only student there. Thus, hearing his master in conversation made his skin tense with unease.

A few more words were murmured into the silence soon followed by a solid 'thwack' that echoed through the trees. A flock of birds hastily departed the immediate area fanning out into the blue sky. Panic streaked across his angular features and every muscle tensed. His first instinct was to run like hell but his body was pretty sure it wanted to linger indefinitely.

Anger was laced into the feminine voice that followed the noise although it was still too far away for distinct words to be understood. A slight shiver tingled down his spine and again while part of his mind screamed for his body to move, the other part was leaning forward slightly with anticipation. Soft footsteps drew near without hesitation. Terror and excitement vied unpleasantly in his stomach as he managed to turn his back and school his features into calm indifference.

"I haven't heard from you in a while so I thought I'd come visit." Said a soft voice. Andy tried not to wince.

"Ah…I've been working really hard. I guess the time got away from me." He started stretching vigorously.

"Is that so?" Her voice was very dangerously calm. That couldn't be good; normally she would just start yelling. The sound of crushed grass warned him of her approach but he couldn't muster the courage to turn to face his opponent. The birds began to return to their perches one by one calling out to each other brightly.

"I hope you'll be able to spare some time to chat." Andy swallowed heavily and managed to turn slightly. Mai was only a few steps away dressed in her usual fighting outfit, her red-brown mane gathered into a ponytail. The ends of it flirtatiously trailed down her chest curling at her hip.

"I-"

"Or perhaps we should spar instead." She cut over his words in a blasé tone. Andy eyed her warily. Mai was smiling casually but there was a dangerous glint to her luminous brown eyes. "That way, my visit won't interrupt your training."

"No, that's-"

"No?" A slight smile played on her lips. "Then you have something else in mind?" She brought a hand up to rest on her hip, the other coyly brushing her hair over her shoulder. Andy paled, then flushed, then looked to the heavens for guidance.

"Now's not a good time." He finally managed not quite able to look her in the eye.

"Why not?" Mai countered smoothly.

"I really do need to train." Andy schooled his face into stern emphasis. Mai's face fell; her almond shaped eyes shimmering. "Perhaps later, we could do something." He hastily amended hating the pain etched in her soft features. It did strange things to his heart.

"Alright, later then." She confirmed as her mercurial mood shifted again. She blew him a kiss then left the way she came in. If there was more of a sway to her hips than was usual, Andy did his best not to notice.

"Andy?" Master Jubei glanced around the empty dojo. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm training, Master." He answered politely, if a little blandly.

"Training!" Jubei stared incredulously at his pupil. "Are you telling me that while there is a gorgeous, curvy woman nearby aching to see you, you're here training!"

"Yes, well...that is the reason I came." Andy replied a little hoarsely studiously returning his focus to his hands.

"I can't believe it." Jubei stared at Andy for long minutes then finally shook his head remorsefully. "I must have failed as your sensei."

"What?" Andy lost his composure enough for his eyes to bulge.

"Yes, I must have failed you somewhere down the line. Perhaps it was because I didn't have any female students around. But still..." he mused.

"Ah...Master..." a large sweat drop made its way down his brow. "I came to learn martial arts not...uh...other things."

"Being a black belt in martial arts is no excuse for being a white belt with women." Jubei braced his fists on his hips, a fierce twinkle shone from his eye. "There's no other recourse. If you're going to rudely ignore our beautiful luscious guest, then I must go in your place." In a great show of pomp, he exited the dojo.

Andy watched him leave doing his best to stop gaping. A strong emotion akin to anger surged through him but he brushed it aside. Mai had dealt with Jubei's advances many times before, this should pose no problem for her.

Andy returned to his training but found his focus a little shaky. His mind kept wandering back to how direct Mai was and the consequences of that. She used all means available to get his attention, what if she were to take up Master Jubei's offer in the hopes of making him jealous? That strong emotion washed over him again and it took more effort than he cared to think about to shrug it off. No, Mai wouldn't go that far to prove a point. Would she? She had made it clear that Jubei's gropings were not appreciated…several times. But still…what if..?

Frowning, he wrenched his mind from that red-brown haired siren and pinned it back on his technique. Still… His traitorous mind slipped away from his grasp. It wasn't really fair to subject Mai to Master Jubei's attentions just because he was so indecisive. Or scared, sneered an annoying voice in the back of his mind. Andy ruthlessly squashed the thought but gave up on his training with a gusty sigh. Somehow Mai only had to be within a fifty-foot radius to ruin his concentration. Perhaps that just proved how desperately he needed to train. If he couldn't focus, then he was nothing better than a raw amateur. Andy left the dojo and scanned the surrounding area. There was no sign of Mai or Master Jubei. He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. Perhaps a nice cold shower to follow up his vigorous workout would help to clear his mind. God only knew nothing else had.

The shower did little to halt his mind from straying to Mai but at least he was clean and the frigid water had restored some control to him. Andy found that to be one of the major frustrations of the whole affair. How could she affect him so deeply without even being there?

He had allowed himself to care for her, to protect her, wasn't that enough? Why did his heart and body keep clamoring for more? As a fighter he had to keep himself composed and in control at all times but he was neither whenever he caught sight of her. How could he protect with such a handicap? Hadn't his fight with Hower shown him that? She was warm, infuriating, dazzling, impossibly obtuse, a bright ray of sunlight, annoying, and yet he couldn't get enough of her.

Andy ran a hand through his damp hair and prayed to any deity who might be listening for strength.

He slipped into his room and quickly pulled on his fighting gear. Perhaps later he could spar with Master Jubei and work off some of the excess energy he had accumulated. There was nothing like a good beating to take a woman off your mind.

The door creaked ominously behind him announcing a visitor.

_Uh oh…_

He turned slowly as a light floral scent greeted him. Mai shut the door and leaned up against it smiling just so. She had eschewed her tighter fitting clothes for a soft, flowing summer dress and her long auburn hair flowed freely down her back. He internally winced, he could handle all of the flesh revealing outfits but when her clothing turned demure he found his defenses shaky. Why, he couldn't say but somehow she was even more irresistible especially the way her full lips were slightly curved in an enigmatic smile. She looked up through her lashes at him, one of the thin straps hovering precariously at the curve of her shoulder.

"I've been looking for you."

"Oh…?" He drawled inching back toward the window.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were hiding from me." She pushed away from the door and gracefully paced towards him. She kept her eyes low, not quite meeting his gaze but stealing quick glances every now and then. Before his finely honed reflexes were revived from the stupor her sweet smile and even sweeter gaze inspired, Andy found himself against the wall with Mai mere inches away. Now she let her guileless eyes wander up to his face.

"It's alright, Andy." She purred barely brushing her chest against his. A shiver rippled along his muscles before Andy could master himself.

"I…uh…need to train. Master Jubei is expecting me." He focused his gaze over the top of her head. Mai's fingertips grazed up his sculpted forearms to his well-muscled biceps ruining his studious effort.

"He won't mind." She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "Especially if I asked him real nicely." Andy coughed and averted his eyes trying to relive every meditative technique he had ever learned to cool the flush from his cheeks.

"Ah…I really need the practice. It would be a disgrace to all my…" his speech faltered as her chest brushed up against him again. "…to my school…if I-" Mai pressed a slim finger to his lips.

"You've already proven to everyone what a dedicated fighter you are. Master Jubei makes no secret how proud he is of you." Mai's bright brown eyes gazed up at him full of fire and velvet. Andy made a kind of sputtering noise and realized to his dismay that his vocal chords had ceased functioning. Her crafty finger breezed along his collarbone pausing at the base of his throat. 'Damn it, why does she have to make being noble so hard?' He cleared his throat and tried to disentangle himself from her embrace.

"Ah…Mai, we really shouldn't…I mean…I-" her finger trailed up his neck then followed his jaw.

"Why not?" She whispered somehow having managed to press herself even closer despite his efforts to do otherwise.

"Because…well…I…it's not…"

"Andy," she breathed, a touch of longing and amused irritation mingled in her tone, "it's okay to not be a gentleman for a few minutes." She tilted her chin up invitingly.

"No, it's not." He said firmly, the first full sentence he had managed ever since she slipped into the room. Her full lips fell into a pout as she stared up at him. She sighed heavily,

"You're driving me crazy." She leaned her forehead against the solid wall of his chest. "When is it going to be okay?"

"I don't know…like when we're married." He mumbled trying his best to ignore the feel of her gentle warmth. Mai stilled, then chanced a look at his striking blue eyes.

"Married?" He found himself getting lost in that guileless gaze. She somehow managed to always look so child-like even while trying to seduce.

"Uh…yea…we should…wait…" A soft smile curved her lips,

"Okay." He blinked, a sinking sensation of unease filling his stomach. She had capitulated way too easily. "But we'll have to make the wedding fairly soon." She decided, her arms coming around his waist to embrace him lightly.

"Wedding?" His eyes bulged and all of his previous efforts to refrain from blushing went out the window. "I never…I mean…what I meant…was…"he hastily backpedaled.

"Andy." She said sternly.

"Yes, Mai?" This was a losing battle and, unlike battles with anyone else, he never had a chance.

"I love you and whether you'll admit it or not, you love me too. So what's standing in the way?" One fist was planted on her hip and she had subtly shifted from a seductress to a hard-willed warrior. A throaty chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head despite himself.

"Why are you always so confident? What would you do if I said that I think of you as a little sister?"

"I'm so confident because I know that you don't think of me that way." She tilted her chin up letting her lids lower a fraction. "Even if you did think of me that way, I wouldn't stop trying because I know that eventually you'll come around. Besides," her hand found its way to his face to cradle his cheek, "the look you're giving me isn't something a 'brother' would give." Shock and consternation rippled through his features. He was sure which was more unnerving; that she could read him so well or that she could get him to display his emotions so easily. "It really doesn't matter what you do because I'm not giving up on my feelings." She murmured stretching up so that she was standing on her toes. "Or you." She added. "So you may as well save us both a lot of time and give in." His hands itched to return that sweet embrace but he got the feeling that once he allowed himself that, it would all be downhill from there. It didn't matter how much he wanted to, or even how much she wanted to; he simply wouldn't allow himself to disgrace her in such a fashion. At least…not yet.

"I guess I will." He mumbled lowly in answer to her statement. He allowed his arms to hold her loosely and let his chin drop to rest on top of her head. The floral scent wafted over him again and he closed his eyes to savor it. Mai stiffened in his embrace from shock but recovered swiftly tightening her hold on him.

"But we really must wait until we're married." He insisted and was rewarded with soft laughter.

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Short and sweet but anything more would have resulted in either a lemon or a plot and I'm terrible at both. sigh I guess I could if anyone wants me to but can you imagine how hard that would be with Andy? He's too much of a gentleman; the only way he'd make it to second base is if Mai did it for him! ;p

Thanks for reading!

Lady Eclipse


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